Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act

All NEH-funded projects involving construction, renovation, repair, rehabilitation, or ground or visual disturbances must comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act[1] (16 U.S.C. § 470f) and its implementing regulations[2] (36 C.F.R. Part 800). Section 106 requires NEH to review the effects of projects awarded NEH funding on historic properties (i.e., National Register of Historic Places (National Register) –listed or –eligible properties), and when applicable, provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) an opportunity to comment on such projects prior to the expenditure of any Federal funds.

NEH does not formally initiate Section 106 review until it decides to fund an application; however, all applicants are expected to familiarize themselves with the Section 106 review process. Depending on the complexity of a project, NEH’s Section 106 review of a project may take between several months to a year for NEH to complete. Therefore, applicants should build sufficient time into their project plans to account for a potentially lengthy review period if NEH decides to fund their applications.

Applicants should also know that an awardee or offeree cannot begin any work involving construction, renovation, repair, rehabilitation, or ground or visual disturbance, and NEH cannot release any Federal funds until NEH concludes its Section 106 review.

For additional information and guidance on Section 106, you may access the websites below. NEH’s Federal Preservation Officer is also available to answer questions about the Section 106 review process. The contact information for the FPO is as follows: 202-606-8309, FPO@neh.gov[3], or Federal Preservation Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities, Room 420, 400 7th Street SW, Washington DC 20506.